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January 12, 2023
NEENAH – She started out making outfits for her Barbie dolls.
Now Pa Kou Xiong, owner of Fashion Fit Alterations located at 1024 S. Commercial St. in Neenah, is helping real people look good in their clothes.
To say the last couple of decades have been a whirlwind would be an understatement.
But where it’s gotten her to, Xiong said, was worth the ups and downs.
Immigrating to the US
Xiong said she was born in a refugee camp after her parents escaped to Thailand from Laos via the Mekong River during the Vietnam War.
After her dad passed away in 1993, Xiong said her mother brought her and her six siblings to the United States.
Xiong grew up in the Fox Valley and said even at a young age, she can remember having a fascination with the transformative role that wardrobe can play.
“As a little girl, I would cut my own clothes to make outfits for my Barbie dolls,” she said. “I would spend hours drawing ladies in fashionable clothes.”
It was always fashion
Xiong attended Kimberly High School and said her sartorial flair did not go unnoticed.
“As I got into my teenage years, I was known for my fashion sense and style,” she said.
Xiong said she quickly realized a career in fashion was the path she was meant to follow.
So, in 2010, she took her 20-year-old self and her dreams to Los Angeles, where she enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College.
The specialized four-year private college is well-known in the fashion industry – even serving as the location of Lifetime’s “Project Runway.”
Pa Kou Xiong said what sets Fashion Fit Alterations apart from others is her fashion design background. Submitted Photo
Xiong said she found inspiration in the goods made by high-end designers, and that inspiration kept her moving toward her goals.
In college, she said she worked a number of jobs, often 50 or more hours a week, all while attending school full-time.
Xiong said it took a lot of work and sacrifice to afford city life.
She said she share a one-bedroom apartment with two other girls and got around by public transportation.
“Despite any hardship I have encountered, I’ve always stayed positive and keep looking forward,” she said. “All I wanted to do was design and keep sewing.”
Xiong said she worked as a stylist in the designer department of Nordstrom in Los Angeles, where she met and worked with a number of celebrities – including model and “Project Runway” host Heidi Klum, actress Rachel McAdams, designer Rebecca Taylor, actress Mary Elizabeth Ellis, stylist Chriselle Lim, British businesswoman Emma Grede (who is co-owner of Good American denim) and Han Chong (designer for luxury label Self-Portrait).
During her time in Los Angeles, Xiong said she participated in several fashion shows and events, showcasing her unique and creative designs.
“My roommates and I started a fashion show called “Revived Fashion Show,” which was held in Fresno, California, inspiring artists to thrive with purpose by sustaining value and Hmong artistry,” she said. “By the third year, we were able to fund scholarships to students in their journey of pursuing the arts.”
Xiong said worked her way up into management, which gave her a sense of how a business should run.
Midwest return
Xiong returned to the Midwest in 2019 – the Minneapolis area to be more specific – where she lived for a year and a half.
It was in Minnesota, she said, where she met her husband.
Xiong said she returned to the Fox Valley when her mom was diagnosed with cancer.
“I moved back to Appleton to be closer to my family,” she said.
She worked as an intern at Mor’s Alterations on Wisconsin Avenue in Appleton, before opening Fashion Fit Alterations in August 2022.
Xiong said she provides alterations (such as hemming pants, suit jackets, patches, military patches, wedding gowns and formal dresses and zipper replacement), custom designs (dresses, shirts, sweaters and pants) and can remake an old garment into a new and updated garment.
“What makes us different from others, is my fashion design background,” she said. “The future plan is to offer embroidery designs on products in-house and online, as well as teach classes on sewing or pattern making.”
Opening Fashion Fit Alterations where she grew up, Xiong said, is the “cherry on top of this journey.”
“I hope to be a part of the community and inspire the youth to always strive for their dreams, no matter their background,” she said.
Xiong said she chose the name Fashion Fit Alterations because she wanted it to reflect her passion for fashion and to communicate how vital she believes it is to have clothing that fits like it should.
Pa Kou Xiong
“Ensuring that garments fit properly is important for the overall look and style,” she said.
Inspired to succeed
Xiong said her late father – an artist and entrepreneur – remains a big inspiration to her and her siblings, as four of them also own their own businesses, three of which are in Appleton.
The other is in New York.
Xiong said a lot has happened in a short time – moving back to the area, getting married and opening a business all in roughly a year.
But said she has done her best to remain positive through it all – keeping her “eye on the end prize.”
“Whenever we try something new in life, whatever it is, it’s always the hardest in the beginning and filled with many challenges,” she said. “(Those challenges) forge you and give you the character development you need to overcome (them), if you are to achieve your goals and dreams. You will come across a point of giving up because it’s too hard and too complicated,” she said. “You might lack skill, you might lack confidence, hope and money. People will push you down, but just remember to keep your eye on the end prize and don’t give up.”
Xiong said she has enjoyed reuniting with the area.
“I’m so proud of my community (for) how much it has changed and developed since I left Wisconsin,” she said.
She said she has also made a few partnerships with companion businesses in the area, such as Suited, Erika’s Bridal and Tiffany’s Bridal.
Xiong said she has contracted with Lululemon at Fox River Mall for alterations, as well.
